The Dilemma Behind Negative Troponin: A Case Report

Acute coronary syndrome remains the primary cause of mortality and morbidity in the United States. Cardiac ischemia is a consequence of an imbalance between oxygen demand and supply. The sensitivity of troponin is above 99% in diagnosing cardiac injury; rare exceptions can occur, however. We present a case of acute coronary syndrome with a negative troponin level, even on repeated testing using different methods at two different centers.

Knowledge and Attitude of General People Towards Symptoms of Heart Attack and the Impact of Delay Time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular disease is prevalent worldwide. The goal of this research is to evaluate the knowledge of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, population about heart attack symptoms and risk factors.

METHODOLOGY

A one-year cross-sectional study was carried out. The study was conducted on 385 individuals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We used the Acute Coronary Syndrome Response Index, with additional questions added, such as risk factors of heart attack and physical activity time. An anonymous self-administered online questionnaire was used to collect the data.

RESULTS

We collected data from 440 participants, but only 385 were included in the analysis. Males represented 41.4% of the participants. In terms of participant knowledge of heart attack symptoms, we found that chest pain or pressure was the most common (80.5%), followed by shortness of breath (77%) and weakness and fatigue (72.0%). In addition, 90.2% and 90.7% of the participants knew that smoking and obesity were risk factors for heart attacks. Furthermore, 46% of participants said they "would not be at all certain" of identifying the symptoms and indicators of a heart attack in another person and 45.7% "in themselves." We found that males were more likely than females to have low knowledge (RR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.24:2.72, P = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that there is a lack of awareness of the heart attack warning signs and symptoms. We propose that future local campaigns focus on increasing awareness and recognition of heart attack symptoms.